Improvement in apparatus and processes of fixing colors



G. H. SMITH. Apparatus and Process of Fixing Colors.

' No. 221,428. Patented Nov. 11, 1879.

ILPETERS. PKpTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n C.

UNITED Srrrrns PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE HAND SMITH, OF SOUTH KENSINGTON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND,ASSIGNOB TO SAMUEL B. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS AND PROCESSES OF FIXING COLORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,428, dated November11, 1879; application filed May 1, 1879; patented in England, March 29,1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HAND SMITH, of South Kensington, in thecounty of Middlesex and Kingdom of England, doctor of medicine, haveinvented improvements in the application or production of colors, marks,or designs to or in materials or articles of mineral, animal, orvegetable substances, and the apparatus or means-employed therein, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My said invention relates, chiefly, to the sinking or fixing of colorsand marks or designs in color in or upon and under the surface ofmineral, animal, and vegetable materials, such, for example, as marble,stone, baked clay, bone, ivory, wood, Wool, jute, and the like. a

It consists in the-impressing upon or painting in the usual manner ofcolors or marks or designs in colors upon the surface of the material orarticle to be treated, and then subjecting the same to the action ofheat and vapor, as hereinafter described, whereby the ated upon.

It also consists in fixing the designs, marks, or colors by the aid of acorrosive agent applied before the article or material is acted upon byheat and vapor.

In carrying out the process of sinking or fixing the color or design, Iemploy apparatus such as is hereinafter described, or apparatus soconstructed as to be capable of being used in a like manner to producelike results.

One form of the apparatus which I use (and which is illustrated insectional elevation in the accompanying drawing) is constructed andarrangedin the following manner:

A is an inner chamber or holder, constructed of galvanized iron or othersuitable substance of a sufficient size for the materials or articles tobe treated, which holder is surrounded by a series of chambers orheat-cells, B B. B arranged the one outside the other, and communicatingthe one with the other by means of openings to in the lower parts oftheir sides, and those of the lower central chamber, 13, at their lowerends, as shown at a.

By using a series of heat-cells the temperature in the holder is moreeasily regulated, as the exterior cells prevent any sudden reduction oftemperature or condensation in the one immediately surrounding theholder, and also any considerable loss of heat thereby from radiatiou.

The sides of the holder and the heat-cells rest 011 a common bottom, A,above which is a stratum of water or other suitable liquid, into whichthey dip, and which is heated by an external water-bath, G, or otherequivalent bath, which, in turn, may be heated outside by the flames ofthe gas-jets O, or by any other convenient means. The bottom of theholder A is arranged at a suitable height, so as to leave a spacebetween it and the bottom A. The liquid circulates freely through theopenings or apertures a made in the lower parts of the sides of theheat-cells B B B and the central chamber, B but its height should beabove the level of the openings or apertures a, thus cutting oft theconnection from one heat-cell to the other, and from the cell B to thecentral chamber, B so as to pre vent, when required, intercommunicationof vapor.

In the bottom of the holder is a valve, D, carried on a stem or spindle,b, which passes through the cover E of the holder A, and by the act ofoperating which the valve D may be raised, and the vapor arising fromthe liquid underneath from the central chamber, B may be allowed toenter the holder. The cover E, which is arranged to fit tightly, may becovered or lined with felt, or felt combined with vulcanizedindia-rubber, or, where high heats are used, non-conductors that areheat; resisting should be used, in order to prevent the radiation ofheat. The heat-cells B B B are also provided with a hollow cover, E,which, in like manner, may be lined with felt covered with vulcanizedindiarubber, or otherwise protected hymn-conductors of heat,

.so as'to prevent the radiation.

The holder A and the bath 0 are fitted with thermometers F G,respectively, for the purpose of enabling the temperatures to beregulated; and cocks H I l l are provided, in conneetion with the holderA and heat-cells B B 13*, respectively, for emission, when required, ofsurplus vapor or steam. A cock, K, is also provided, in order to enablethe water or other liquid to be drawn off from the bottom, A, and thebath is also fitted with cocks K K through which, respectively, thewater contained in the bath may be drawn off and water admitted, so asto enable the temperature to be rapidly regulated when required.

Instead of employing water, it may he sometimes found advantageous,having regard to the articles proposed to be treated, to employ alcoholor ammoniacal or other liquids, wholly or in part, instead of water. Itwill be obvious that in such cases the perforations made in the sides ofthe cells may be advantageously dispensed with.

In the placcot' the heat-cells B B B it may be found, in some cases,desirable to surround B and the holder A with walls of material thatwill prevent the radiation of heat.

In order that my process may be understood, I will describe a mode ofcarrying it out that will be practicallysuccessful, although the degreeof temperature, the fortnsof thea qiaratus, and other details may bevaried. l find apparatus such as is hereinbefore described may be usedwith great success.

Materials or articles having upon their surfaces any required designformed by impressing thereon colors or pigments in anysuitable mannerare treated as hereinafter described, so as to permanently tix thedesigns ill or upon the articles.

The materials or articles to be treated are placed in the holder Athrough the door E with which the cover E is provided, and the door isthen closed, the vapor-supply valve 1) being maintained in its seat soas to cut off all communication between the holder and the liquid forgenerating the vapor contained in the bottom A. Heat is then applied tothe bath C, and the temperature is raised quickly or slowly, accordingto the nature of the material or article to be treated. The temperatureof the materials or articles contained in the holder will rise with lessrapidity than that of the vapor surrounding them, and the liquidgenerating the vapor is again colder than the bath 0.

\Vhen the materials or articles in the holder and the holder itsclthaveboth attained as nearly as possible the same temperature of about 100Fahrenheit, (the vapor outside having a temperature slightly in excessof 100 Fahrenhcit,) the valve 1) is raised or opened and vapor isallowed to enter the holder. The liqaid in the bath Uis then graduallyheated up to, say, about 212 l ahrenheit, whereby a difl'cr ence oftemperature between the vapor in the holder and the objectscontainedtherein is maintained, such diflerence increasing or decreasing inproportion to the rapidity or otherwise of the ascent of thetemperature, so that the condensation of vapor may be thus controlled atwill. The temperature is' then diminished, either quickly or slowly, byturning down the gas-jets C, and by allowing a flow of cold liquid intothe bathGthrongh the cock K according to the nature of the material orarticles under treatment, but still maintaining the relative difl'erenceof temperature in order to avoid a heavy condensation of vapor upon thesaid materials or articles.

The valve 1) may be wholly or partially closed before or duringthelowering ot'the temperature.

The differential action thus set up may be repeated any required numberof times, and when the operation (the duration of whichwill depend uponthe depth of penetration required for the design upon the articles) iscompleted the design will be found to have been fixed upon or sunk intothe substance of the material or article under treatment. The surpluscolor, it any, is then removed, leaving the design clearly defined andthe luster ot' the material treated wholly unimpaired.

The indications for the degrees of temperature and for the generalconduct of the operation hcreinbefore given are more particularlysuitable where designs with clearly-defined and sharp outlines arerequired. Where these results are not required-as, for example, insinking color without a defined design-the difference of temperaturebetween the materials or articles and the surrounding vapor may begreater, and the temperature may be raised more rapidly. The precisegeneral conditions suitable to each case are easily ascertained byexperience in working my invention.

When, from the nature of the materials under treatment, it is requiredto operate at a more elevated temperature than 212 Fahrenheit, theapparatus is so constructed as to be steanrtight and to sustain thepressure to which it may have to be subjected.

If desired, the pressure may be varied while the temperature remainsconstant; or the pressure and temperature may be varied simultaneous] y.In either case the desired regulated condensation is obtained.

In the treatment of stone-such, for example, as marble[ use metallic orother colors which do not injure the composition of the stone.

When applying my said invention to the production of marks, patterns,devices, or designs in or upon metals, glass, or other materials, Iproceed as follows: I place the design upon the article of metal, glass,or other material, with any suitable agent-corrosive to the same-such,for example, as acids or corrosive salts-which may, after application,be rendered sufliciently dry, eitheralone or by the addition of anysuitable powder which will give the requisite dryness, and I thenintroduce the article into the holder A and operate in the mannerhereinbefore described, the apparatus being heated until the materialsor articles in the holder and the holder itself have both attained atemperature of, say, 100 Fahrenheit, (while the vapor outside has atemperature slightly in excess of 100 Fahrenheit.) The valve D is thenopened for the admission of the vapor into the holder A, whereby actionupon the design is set up, after which the temperature of the liquid inthe bath is raised to, say, 212 Fahrenheit, the temperature of theholder and of the material or article contained within the same beingmaintained slightly below that of the vapor, and the temperature is thenagain diminished, as before described. The differential action is, ifnecessary, repeated one or more times, the operation being continueduntil the design (the original character or qualities of which remainunimpaired has sufiiciently penetrated into the materials or articlesunder treatment.

If desired, in place of the design being imprinted, it may be cut out ofasbestus or other suitable cloth or fabric which may be capable ofabsorbing and retaining the said corrosive acids or salts, the saiddesign being then applied to the metal, glass, or other material; or themetallic or other surface may be covered with a thin layer of varnishcapable of resisting the corrosive action, as in etching, and the designis then cut through the layer with a point, in the usual manner, and thecorrosive substance is then applied. The article or material is thensubjected to the action of the apparatus in the manner hereinbeforedescribed.

Having now described and particularly asceltained the nature of my saidinvention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carriedinto effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to benovel and original, and therefore claim, is-

1. The process of fixing colors, marks, or designs upon varioussubstancesby heating the substance, having the color, mark, or designimpressed, painted, or placed upon it, subjectin g it to the action ofvapor of a higher temperature, and maintaining and regulating thediffcrencein temperature to cause the fixing of the applied colors,marks, or designs without spreading, substantially as described.

2. In the process of fixing colors, marks, or designs upon varioussubstances hereinbefore described, the method of maintaining andregulating the temperature of the vapor at a degree higher than that ofthe article upon which the color is to be fixed by gradually raising thetemperature after application, substantially as set forth.

3. The process of fixing designs upon metals, glass, and other materialsby the aid of a corrosive agent, the same consisting in placin g thedesign upon the article with asuitable agent corrosive of the same, andthen heating the article and subjecting it to the action of vapor of ahigher temperature, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for use in fixing or sinking colors or designs uponmaterials, consisting of an inner chamber or holder surrounded on thesides by heat-cells, a central liquid-chamber adapted to be put incommunication with the holder through a suitable valve, and means forraising the temperature of the liquid in the said central chamber,substantially as described.

5. An apparatus composed of a series of concentric heat-cells, an innerchamber or holder, and a central liquidchamber beneath said holder, anda bath, the said heat-cells and central chamber communicating with eachother through apertures in their sides at the bottom, substantially asset forth.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

. GEORGE HAND SMITH.

Witnesses:

CHAS. MILLS,

47 Lt'ncolns Inn Fields, London, WM. GoRToN,

47 Lincolns Inn Fields, London.

